Link Pathway receives donation from Corteva Agriscience for Bridge and Agriculture Education

The Link Pathway Committee is thrilled to announce that one of the three bridges along the 15 km route between Lethbridge and Coaldale has been sponsored by Corteva Agriscience with a $30,000 donation, which will also fund educational signage about local agriculture.

The Link Pathway is a transformative multi-use recreational pathway that will connect the communities of Lethbridge and Coaldale, offering a safe and accessible route for pedestrians, cyclists, and outdoor enthusiasts. The pathway aims to promote active living, boost tourism, and foster a deeper connection between residents and their surroundings. Importantly, the pathway winds through pristine irrigated croplands in Southern Alberta, allowing pathway users to experience rural Alberta like never before and providing groups like Corteva the chance to educate the public about agriculture with interpretive signage along the way.

Corteva’s donation will play an important role in helping the Link Pathway construct a bridge across an irrigation canal located near Corteva’s Lethbridge canola production site.

“It’s always been our goal to use the pathway to tell the story of southern Alberta agriculture and let folks learn more about where their food comes from and the entire ecosystem that makes it all possible,” said George Lohues, a local farmer and member of the Link Pathway Committee. “Corteva has been a key player in our farming world, and I’m personally moved to see them come forward to support this vision.”

Corteva is a global leader in providing sustainable, world-class seed and crop protection solutions to farmers. Their Lethbridge facility is the company’s primary canola seed production site in North America and is the main distribution centre for its Pioneer® brand and Brevant® seeds products in Western Canada.

“This community is important to Corteva. It helps us get advanced canola seed technology to farmers and, most importantly, is the place many at our site call home,” said Rick Bannerman, Lethbridge Production Location Manager, Corteva . “We were impressed with the vision that Link Pathway put forward to teach people who use the pathway about the critical role Southern Alberta plays in feeding and fuelling the world. I look forward to seeing people, including our Corteva team, use the pathway to enjoy the beauty of our community.”

Currently the Link Pathway has 1/3 of its length under construction and is moving forward with subsequent stages of construction in the 2024 season.

“You’re going to be able to bike 5 kms of the route this summer and get a taste of what the whole route is going to be like,“explains Henry Doeve, Chair of the Link Pathway Committee. “And we’re working with the Town of Coaldale and the Coaldale Community Wellness Association right now to get the first of three picnic shelters built in 2024! We can’t wait to put up Corteva’s bridge and signage and start telling the story of our agriculture.”

For more information on the Link Pathway project, please visit linkpathway.org or follow @linkpathway on Facebook and Instagram. More information on Corteva can be found at www.corteva.ca.